1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a flexible harness guide for a vehicle. More specifically, the present invention relates to a flexible harness guide fixed at a first body structure and movably received within an interior cavity of a second body structure.
2. Background Information
Many vehicles have closure panels that include electrically powered fixtures. Vehicle doors are one example of a closure panel that can include such electrically powered accessories, such as electric door locks, electric side rear view mirror, etc. Typically, a hole is formed in a portion of the vehicle body panel, and another hole is formed in the closure panel. Electrical wires extend through both holes to provide electric power from the vehicle body to the accessories on or in the closure panel.
The electrical wires extending between the vehicle body and closure panel are typically protected at the vehicle body and the closure panel by a flexible conduit or hollow tube-shaped grommet. More specifically, the grommets have mounting ends that extend into the respective holes in the vehicle body and the closure panel. The wires extend through the grommets. The grommets are shaped and dimensioned such that the electrical wires are prevented from contacting edges of the holes in the vehicle body and the closure panel, such that the insulation on the wires is protected and electrical shorting to metallic portions of the vehicle body is substantially prevented.
Typically, grommets are disposed at the vehicle body and closure panel with a wiring harness passing through both grommets. The harness should be long enough to span the distance between the closure panel and the vehicle body when the closure panel is in an open position. When the closure panel is in a closed position, the harness is routed to a space between the closure panel and the vehicle body. However, the hinge and/or the grommets can pinch the harness when the harness is not properly routed when moving the closure panel to the closed position, which can result in damage to the electrical wires. Additionally, space between the closure panel and the vehicle body is limited, thereby increasing the difficulty of routing the wiring harness therebetween. Further, the grommets are typically disposed at different heights, thereby increasing the likelihood of the afore-mentioned disadvantages.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved flexible harness guide.